WHISTLER MEASUREMENTS OF THE EQUATORIAL PROFILE OF MAGNETOSPHERIC ELECTRON DENSITY,
Abstract
A whistler method of deducing the equatorial profile of electron density is described. Results of several investigations are compared, and it is found that there is excellent agreement on the shape of the profile. Its average behavior in the range 2 R sub E to 5 R sub E geocentric distance is estimated to fall between about N varies R to the minus 3rd power and N varies R to the minus 4th power. Several roughly comparable estimates of numerical values are found to be within a factor of about 2. It is found that the results from whistlers are generally consistent with 5000-km values of electron density obtained by incoherent scatter measurements at the geomagnetic equator. Whistler evidence of a knee in the equatorial profile is presented. The knee is characterized by a region in which the profile drops rapidly from a relatively normal level to a level that may be depressed by a factor of 6 or more. The knee is believed to be a persistent phenomenon, which moves inward with increasing magnetic activity. Measurements made by the Lunik I and Lunik II probes are found to be consistent with whistler predictions of a knee in the equatorial profile. Some of the recently obtained results on temporal variations in magnetospheric density are discussed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0617850
Entities
People
- D. L. Carpenter
Organizations
- Stanford University